How About a Walleye Club Program like FLW & Bass

[TYEEE]

Jules yes that is right, I was refering to an article that was disussing the audience of 300 to 400k. Do you think the walleye world would bennefit from developing a "federation" type of organization group of people? I know the NPAA and others focused on tournaments is out there but with dues as high as they are with the bennefits associated there has always been a concern of mine.

Question? Would a group owned by the members be something more people would be interested in and what would need to be done to get them interested and keep them interested? There are a lot of walleye "clubs" already and to turn them into a national organization without the "private industry" influence would be more appealing to most don't you think? I would strugle with joining a group that was heavily funded by private industry!
Good Luck
Tyee

[hgmeyer]

Tyee,

In a perfect world a totally "independent" organizations would be my, and most others', choice. But, realistically, the anglers can probably benefit from "selling", for soft dollars in the form of management and support, their collective position. The clubs would be getting a great deal in the form of all the benefits that could be derived from scale and numbers. The national organization would have the members available for marketing and participation.

The old (and maybe the new) BASS Federation serves as a very good starting point. The State Federations were (and are still) independently controlled state chartered non-profit corporations. (In their new arrangement they are individually and collectively bound to the FLW by a five year contract).

I look back and see the tremendous growth in the sport of Bass fishing and I have to give a large amount of the credit to the (pre ESPN) BASS organization. That same growth potential (to an acknowledged smaller degree) exits within the sport of walleye fishing. If you look at comparisons, besides geography, the existence of an organized "grass roots" based club program, is the other big contrast.

As I sit here in my shop and type I am watching the BASS/ESPN Elite Fifty series on TV. Any questions? We don't need to reinvent the wheel. We just need to get one.

I think it would be more wise to look at the history of the BASS Federation, it's policies, and the people involved, rather than asking me what should be done.

I know my limitations (most of the time anyway). ;)

Juls

[hgmeyer]

I agree Juls. Can you just imagine the collective wisdom, right now, working with the new FLW structure. Some of the Federation Presidents have decades of experience... Our own Illinois Federation has a few dozen people with 15 to 30 years affiliation.

Like I said, we don't need to re-invent the wheel.

ttt